The Meaning of 1 Samuel 30:15 Explained

1 Samuel 30:15

KJV: And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

YLT: And David saith unto him, 'Dost thou bring me down unto this troop?' and he saith, 'Swear to me by God -- thou dost not put me to death, nor dost thou shut me up into the hand of my lord -- and I bring thee down unto this troop.'

Darby: And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear to me by God, that thou wilt neither put me to death nor deliver me up into the hand of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop.

ASV: And David said to him, Wilt thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  said  to him, Canst thou bring me down  to this company?  And he said,  Swear  unto me by God,  that thou wilt neither kill  me, nor  deliver  me into the hands  of my master,  and I will bring thee down  to this company. 

What does 1 Samuel 30:15 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 30:1-15 - A Blow That Led Back To God
As David was leaving the battlefield, a number of men of Manasseh fell to him, 1 Chronicles 12:20, so his following was greatly increased. It was as if God had anticipated his coming trial, and prepared him to encounter it. "The God of his mercy prevented (literally, went before) him." But what a mercy it was that he had been sent back; that no garrison had been left to guard the women, which might have irritated the depredators; and that nobody had been killed, 1 Samuel 30:2!
In the first outburst of grief and horror, only divine and gracious interposition could have saved David's life. But this was the hour of his return to God. With the charred embers at his feet and anxiety gnawing at his heart, the threat of violence in his ears, and bitter compunction of conscience, "he strengthened himself in the Lord his God." From that hour he was his old, strong, glad, noble self. After months of neglect, he bade Abiathar bring him the ephod, and he inquired the will of God. Then with marvelous vigor he went in pursuit and recovered all. He had been brought out of an horrible pit, and again his feet were on the rock, Psalms 40:2. His "goings" could now be established. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 30

1  The Amalekites raid Ziklag
4  David asking counsel, is encouraged by God to pursue them
11  By the means of a received Egyptian he is brought to the enemies,
18  and recovers all the spoil
22  David's law to divide the spoil equally
26  He sends presents to his friends

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 30:15 mean?

And said to him David can you take me down to troop this so he said Swear to me by God that you will neither that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master and I will take you down troop this
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ דָּוִ֔ד הֲתוֹרִדֵ֖נִי אֶל־ ؟ הַגְּד֣וּד הַזֶּ֑ה וַיֹּ֡אמֶר הִשָּׁבְעָה֩ לִּ֨י בֵֽאלֹהִ֜ים אִם־ תְּמִיתֵ֗נִי וְאִם־ תַּסְגִּרֵ֙נִי֙ בְּיַד־ אֲדֹנִ֔י וְאוֹרִֽדְךָ֖ הַגְּד֥וּד הַזֶּֽה

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָיו֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
דָּוִ֔ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
הֲתוֹרִדֵ֖נִי  can  you  take  me  down 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
؟ הַגְּד֣וּד  troop 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּדוּד  
Sense: a band, troop, marauding band.
הַזֶּ֑ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וַיֹּ֡אמֶר  so  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִשָּׁבְעָה֩  Swear 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
לִּ֨י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
בֵֽאלֹהִ֜ים  by  God 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אִם־  that  you  will  neither 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
תְּמִיתֵ֗נִי  that  you  will  neither  kill  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְאִם־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
תַּסְגִּרֵ֙נִי֙  deliver  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: סָגוּר 
Sense: to shut, close.
בְּיַד־  into  the  hands 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֲדֹנִ֔י  of  my  master 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
וְאוֹרִֽדְךָ֖  and  I  will  take  you  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
הַגְּד֥וּד  troop 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּדוּד  
Sense: a band, troop, marauding band.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.